Today is: Thursday, February 22, 2018

Like its name Sweet Life, the tastes, smells, and appearance of La Dolce Vita,
it offers authentic Italian dining in a pleasantly intimate atmosphere. The
northern Italian region home to so many fine wines. And, like a true
Chianti wine, the restaurant boasts authenticity.

On the Friday we visited, the restaurant’s relaxed atmosphere was abuzz with activity. Several tables played host to families, friends and lovers. The mature wait staff gracefully danced from table to table, continuously checking on diners’ needs.

Moet Champagne / Long Island

La Dolce Vita offers a full bar, and boasts several different spaces that
can become private or semi-private, making it an excellent
choice for large groups or private parties.

Ruben Castro
2002
Amarone della Valpolicella

Comfortably seated, we were greeted by Ruben Castro the general manager who
has been devoted to the restaurant for the last 35 years, who seemed genuinely delighted to wait on us. Over the course of the evening he would prove to be
both knowledgeable and entertaining, ensuring we had an enjoyable experience.
He presented us with La Dolce Vita’s wine list, an extensive and well-rounded selection of Italian and American wines, from which we selected a wonderful
red; Capitel de Roari – Amarone Della Valpolicella from Luigi Righelti to
follow us through our delicious meal.

Calamari Fritti
Linguini Seafood

After taking in La Dolce Vita’s extensive menu, we began with a sampling of appetizers; the selection of cold and hot appetizers run the gamut from the traditional to the adventurous, with selections such as
Calamari Fritti: were delighted by the rich and aromatic combination of flavors and textures. The appetizer paired firm calamari with soft olives and cherry tomatoes, sautéed in a decadent tomato, white wine and garlic sauce and garnished with Italian parsley, a mild variety of the traditional spice. Next we tried the Scampi, both were great, especially the
Scampi, it was delicious.

We opted for La Dolce Vita Chopped Salad, a delightful treat as a salad.

La Dolce Vita Chopped Salad
Caesar Salad

La Dolce Vita offers a generous selection of pasta dishes, with the menu divided into Seafood, Meat, and Vegetarian sections. Perhaps sensing our difficulty in selecting just one dish, Ruben offered to bring a sampling of 2 different pastas to our table, demonstrating a range of cooking techniques and flavors.

Veal Canneloni

The Veal Canneloni topped with a traditional red sauce, ambitiously tried to combine contrasting flavors, it was excellently integrated, with thick meat sauce generously clinging to the cheese, delicious and authentic.

Mushroom Risotto
Farfalla with Salsiccia

The Mushroom Risotto was a delightfully rich dish, featuring the wonderful porcini mushroom cream sauce. The mushrooms were the highlight of the dish, imparting a rich, savory flavor that lingered with each bite, resulting in a colorful
combination of flavors and textures.

The Secondi Piatti section of La Dolce Vita’s menu is almost as extensive as
the pasta section, with a variety of seafood, chicken, steak and veal entrees.

Pepper Steak (Prime) served with Potatoes and Brocolli

We selected the popular Pepper Steak (Prime) served with delicious potatoes and brocolli. The aroma of the rosemary greeted our noses before the dish was set down, further awaking our already excited taste buds. Roasted rosemary, as well as garlic provided just a hint of flavor, and the crisp garlic slivers provided an excellent contrast to the tender steak. Simplicity again allowed the quality of the ingredients to shine, and we enjoyed not only the steak but the olive oil sauce that surrounded it.

Sand Dabs with Potatoes and Brocolli

My guest choose the Sand Dabs, also a delicious fresh fish served with potatoes and
Brocolli, the texture and flavors were very delicate, again bringing
the essence of northern Italy to our table.

Spumoni Ice cream

After allowing ourselves a pause to digest and contemplate the many dishes
we had sampled, our server came out with a nice Spumoni Ice cream,
which we also enjoyed very much.

Sitting back as we took in the still-lively atmosphere that evening,
we found ourselves quite satisfied.

Our La Dolce Vita dining experience had provided us with a wonderfully sensual
tour of Italy… Indimenticabile… or unforgetable – You must go there !
I recommend it on Valentine’s Day!